Wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures and methods of making same

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of a wirelessly detectable object to be used in medical procedures are provided. The object may include a piece of absorbent material, a transponder to wirelessly receive and transmit signals, and a cover. The cover is attached directly to the piece of absorbent material to retain the transponder. Methods of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects are also provided.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

This disclosure generally relates to wirelessly detectable objects useful in medical procedures such as surgeries, birth deliveries, and other procedures.

Description of the Related Art

It is often useful or important to be able to determine the presence or absence of a foreign object.

For example, it is important to determine whether objects associated with a medical procedure, for instance surgery, are present in a patient's body before completion of the medical procedure. Such objects may take a variety of forms. For example, the objects may take the form of instruments, for instance scalpels, scissors, forceps, hemostats, and/or clamps. Also for example, the objects may take the form of related accessories and/or disposable objects, for instance surgical sponges, gauzes, and/or pads. Failure to locate an object before closing the patient may require additional surgery, and in some instances may have serious adverse medical consequences.

Some hospitals have instituted procedures, which include checklists or requiring multiple counts to be performed to track the use and return of objects during surgery. Such a manual approach is inefficient, requiring the time of highly trained personnel, and is prone to error.

Another approach employs transponders and a wireless interrogation and detection system. Such an approach employs wireless transponders which are attached to various objects used during surgery. The interrogation and detection system may include a transmitter that emits pulsed wideband wireless signals (e.g., radio or microwave frequency) and a detector for detecting wireless signals returned by the transponders in response to the emitted pulsed wideband signals. Such an automated system may advantageously increase accuracy while reducing the amount of time required of highly trained and highly compensated personnel. Examples of such an approach are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,818, issued Feb. 22, 2000, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0250819, published Dec. 16, 2004.

Commercial implementation of such an automated system requires that the overall system be cost effective and highly accurate. In particular, false negatives must be avoided to ensure that objects are not mistakenly left in the patient. The overall automated system requires a large number of transponders, since at least one transponder is carried, attached or otherwise coupled to each object which may or will be used in surgery. Consequently, the transponders and devices for carrying, attaching or coupling the transponder to the object should be inexpensive. In addition, such inexpensive devices must allow accurate detection and thus not made of metallic materials. Otherwise, if the object and/or the device carrying the transponder is metallic or other metallic objects are present in the body, a transponder that is in fact present may not be able to be detected as a result of the metallic object acting as a Faraday shield or otherwise interfering with transponder communications. The transponder and/or device should be capable of undergoing sterilization.

Moreover, transponders are typically attached or otherwise coupled to individual objects, such as gauzes and lap sponges, one piece of object at a time. That is, a transponder is attached or otherwise coupled to a piece of gauze or lap sponge from a quantity of individual pieces of gauzes or lap sponges. In some cases, this may involve unpacking the gauzes or lap sponges from the package they are provided in before transponders are individually attached or otherwise coupled to each of the gauzes or lap sponges. Further, in certain cases, each piece of gauze or lap sponge may need to be unfolded first before the corresponding transponder is attached to it. These additional steps add undesirable time and costs. Consequently, a new inexpensive device for attaching or otherwise coupling a transponder to an object to be used in a medical procedure, and a new method of attaching or coupling such device and transponder to such an object is highly desirable.

BRIEF SUMMARY

At least one embodiment may be summarized as a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures, which object includes a piece of absorbent material, a transponder to wirelessly receive and transmit signals, and a cover having a receiving cavity to receive the transponder. The cover may be attached directly to the piece of absorbent material to enclose the transponder therebetween. The piece of absorbent material may be a sponge. The piece of absorbent material may be a piece of gauze. The cover may be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

A radio frequency (RF) weld may attach the cover to the piece of absorbent material. The detectable surgical object may further include stitching that attaches the cover to the piece of absorbent material.

At least one embodiment may be summarized as a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures, which object includes a piece of absorbent material, a transponder to wirelessly receive and transmit signals, and a flexible sheet attached directly to the piece of absorbent material and forming a pocket to enclose the transponder therein. The piece of absorbent material may be a sponge. The piece of absorbent material may be a piece of gauze. The flexible sheet may be a sheet of PVC impregnated cotton fabric. The transponder may be sealed in the pocket formed by the flexible sheet by RF welding.

An RF weld may seal the transponder in the pocket formed by the flexible sheet, and stitching that attaches the pocket formed by the flexible sheet to the piece of absorbent material.

The wirelessly detectable disposable object may be a disposable surgical object where the piece of absorbent material has at least one edge and has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the flexible sheet is folded over one of the at least one edge of the piece of absorbent material to provide a first portion of the flexible sheet adjacent the first surface of the piece of absorbent material and a second portion of the flexible sheet adjacent the second surface of the piece of absorbent material, and wherein the first portion of the flexible sheet is further folded to form the pocket enclosing the transponder therein. The first and the second portions of the flexible sheet may be RF welded to the piece of absorbent material.

At least one embodiment may be summarized as a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures, which object includes a piece of absorbent material, a transponder to wirelessly receive and transmit signals, and a container containing the transponder and attached directly to the piece of absorbent material. The piece of absorbent material may be a sponge. The piece of absorbent material may be a piece of gauze.

The wirelessly detectable object may further include an RF weld that attaches the container to the piece of absorbent material. The wirelessly detectable object may further include a radio-opaque strip carried by the piece of absorbent material, and the radio-opaque strip may be a strip of blue barium. The wirelessly detectable object may further include an RF weld that attaches the container directly to the radio-opaque strip. The wirelessly detectable object may further include stitching that attaches the container directly to the radio-opaque strip.

The wirelessly detectable object may be a disposable surgical object where the container includes first, second, and third members, wherein the piece of absorbent material has first and second surfaces opposite to each other, wherein the first member has a cavity to receive the transponder, wherein the first and second members form a pouch to contain the transponder, and wherein the pouch containing the transponder is attached to the first surface of the piece of absorbent material and the third member is attached to the second surface of the piece of absorbent material directly opposite the pouch. The first, second, and third members of the container may be made of PVC. The pouch and the third member may be attached to the piece of absorbent material by RF welding.

At least one embodiment may be summarized as a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures. The medical procedure may, for instance be a surgical procedure. The object may include a transponder to wirelessly receive and transmit signals, a flexible sheet forming a cavity, and at least one RF weld that seals the transponder in the cavity. The flexible sheet may be attached directly to the object. The object may include a piece of absorbent material, which may be a sponge. The piece of absorbent material may be a piece of gauze. The flexible sheet may be made of PVC or may be a piece of PVC impregnated cotton fabric. The flexible sheet may be attached directly to the object by the at least one RF weld.

The wirelessly detectable object may further include stitching that attaches the flexible sheet directly to the object.

At least one embodiment may be summarized as a method of manufacturing a plurality of wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures, including attaching a plurality of transponders to a substantially flat object; and dividing the substantially flat object to provide a plurality of discrete objects each having a respective one of the plurality of transponders attached thereto. Attaching a plurality of transponders to a roll of absorbent material may include attaching a plurality of transponders to a roll of gauze. Dividing the roll of absorbent material into a plurality of discrete pieces of absorbent material each having a respective one of the plurality of transponders attached thereto may include dividing the roll of gauze to provide a plurality of discrete pieces of gauze each having a respective one of the plurality of transponders attached thereto.

According to at least one embodiment, attaching a plurality of transponders to a roll of absorbent material may include RF welding a plurality of transponders to the roll of absorbent material.

The method may further include providing a plurality of housing objects each having a cavity to hold a respective one of the plurality of transponders, and sealing each of the transponders in the cavity of the respective one of the housing objects by RF welding. Attaching a plurality of transponders to a roll of absorbent material may include attaching the plurality of housing objects each containing a respective transponder to the roll of absorbent material. Providing a plurality of housing objects each having a cavity to hold a respective one of the plurality of transponders may include providing a plurality of sheets of flexible material each forming a pocket to hold a respective one of the plurality of transponders. RF welding the housing objects to seal each of the transponders in the cavity of the respective one of the housing objects may include RF welding the sheets of flexible material to seal each of the transponders in the pocket of the respective one of the sheets of flexible material.

According to at least one embodiment, attaching the plurality of housing objects each containing a respective transponder to the roll of absorbent material may include RF welding the plurality of sheets of flexible material each containing a respective transponder to the roll of absorbent material. Attaching the plurality of housing objects each containing a respective transponder to the roll of absorbent material may also be sewing the plurality of sheets of flexible material each containing a respective transponder to the roll of absorbent material. Providing a plurality of housing objects may include providing housing objects made of PVC impregnated cotton fabric or PVC.

The method may further include providing a roll of absorbent material pouches each containing a respective one of the plurality of transponders and RF welded to seal the respective transponder within, and separating the roll of absorbent material pouches into individual fabric pouches each containing a respective one of the plurality of transponders. Attaching a plurality of transponders to a roll of absorbent material may include RF welding the fabric pouches to the roll of absorbent material.

The method may further include packaging at least one of the plurality of discrete pieces of absorbent material having a respective transponder attached thereto. The method may also include testing the at least one packaged discrete piece of absorbent material having a respective transponder attached thereto.

At least one embodiment may be summarized as a method of manufacturing a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures, the method including enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder by heat sealing; and attaching the flexible holder to an object. Enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder may include enclosing the transponder in the receiving cavity of the flexible holder made of PVC or forming a pocket with a piece of PVC impregnated cotton fabric to receive the transponder and enclosing the transponder in the pocket. Enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder by heat sealing may include sealing the transponder in the pocket formed from the PVC impregnated cotton fabric by RF welding, and attaching the flexible holder to a surgical object may include attaching the pocket containing the sealed transponder to the object by RF welding. Enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder by heat sealing may include sealing the transponder in the pocket formed from the PVC impregnated cotton fabric using RF welding, and wherein attaching the flexible holder to an object comprises attaching the pocket containing the sealed transponder to the object by sewing.

According to at least one embodiment, attaching the flexible holder to an object may include attaching the flexible holder to a sheet of gauze or a sponge. Enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder by heat sealing may include sealing the transponder between a first member of the flexible holder and a second member of the flexible holder having a receiving cavity to receive the transponder by RF welding. Attaching the flexible holder to an object may include RF welding the flexible holder containing the transponder to a radio-opaque strip on a sheet of lap sponge, which may include RF welding the flexible holder containing the transponder to a strip of blue barium on the sponge. Attaching the flexible holder to an object may include sewing the flexible holder containing the transponder to a radio-opaque strip on a sponge. Sewing the flexible holder containing the transponder to a radio-opaque strip on a sheet of lap sponge may include sewing the flexible holder containing the transponder to a strip of blue barium on the sheet of lap sponge.

According to at least one embodiment, enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder may include enclosing each of a plurality of transponders in a respective one of a plurality of fabric pouches, the plurality of fabric pouches being part of a roll of the fabric pouches. Attaching the flexible holder to an object may include separating the roll of fabric pouches into individual fabric pouches each containing a respective one of the plurality of transponders; RF welding the fabric pouches to a roll of gauze; and separating the roll of gauze into a plurality of individual pieces of gauze each having a respective fabric pouch attached thereto and containing a respective transponder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an environment in which medical procedures are preformed, for instance a surgical environment, illustrating use of an interrogation and detection system to detect one or more wireless detectable objects tagged with transponder(s), to prevent the objects from inadvertently being left behind in a patient, according to one illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a diagram of a transponder device attached to an object to be used in medical procedures, according to one illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 2B is a diagram of a transponder housing that receives and couples the transponder to the object, according to one illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram of a transponder device, according to one illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a diagram of a transponder device, according to another illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 3C is an isometric view of an assembly of a transponder device and an object to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3D is a side view of the assembly of an object to be used in medical procedures with the transponder device attached thereto of FIG. 3C.

FIG. 4A is a diagram of a method of attaching a transponder device to an object to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4B is a diagram of an object to be used in medical procedures, having a transponder device attached thereto according to the method shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a diagram of a method of attaching a transponder device to an object to be used in medical procedures, according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5B is a diagram of an object to be used in medical procedures having a transponder device attached thereto, according to the method shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a diagram of a method of attaching a transponder device to an object to be used in medical procedures, according to yet another embodiment.

FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the attachment of a transponder device to an object to be used in medical procedures, according to the method shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a conventional process of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects to be used in medical procedures.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a process of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing a plurality of wirelessly detectable objects to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing a wirelessly detectable object to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures associated with transmitters, receivers, or transceivers, and types of objects employed in medical procedures, for instance sponges, gauze or other absorbent objects, have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising,” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, as “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments.

For ease of understanding, a surgical environment will be used as an example environment for detecting objects but such should not be considered limiting.

FIG. 1 shows an environment 1 in which medical procedures are performed, for example a surgical environment, clinician's office, examination room, patient room or other environments in which medical procedures may be performed. A medical provider (not shown) operates an interrogation and detection system 5 to ascertain the presence or absence of objects in, or on, a patient 10.

The interrogation and detection system 5 may include a controller 5 a and an antenna 5 b. The antenna 5 b is coupled to the controller 5 a by one or more communication paths, for example a coaxial cable 5 c. The antenna 5 b may take the form of a hand-held wand. The controller 5 a is configured to cause the antenna to emit wireless interrogation signals in one or more wide frequency bands, to receive responses from transponders to such interrogation signals, and to determine the presence or absence of a transponder based on the received responses, if any.

The environment 1 may include a number of objects, collectively 14, used or employed when performing medical procedures. For instance, the objects may include surgical objects 14 used in performing surgical procedures. The objects 14 may take a variety of forms, for example instruments, accessories and/or disposable objects useful in performing medical procedures. Each object 14 is tagged, attached, or otherwise coupled with a transponder device, collectively 20, and therefore detectable by the interrogation and detection system 5. Thus, medical procedure objects 14 a-14 e may each be associated with a respective transponder device 20 a-20 e, making those objects 14 wirelessly detectable.

The transponder devices 20 each include a respective transponder 38. The transponder 38 may be constructed in various manners. For example, the transponder 38 may include a ferrite rod with a conductive coil wrapped about an exterior surface thereof to form an inductor, and a capacitor coupled to the conductive coil to form a series circuit. The conductive coil may, for example, take the form of a spiral wound conductive wire with an electrically insulative sheath or sleeve. Additional details about types of transponders may be found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/811,376 filed Jun. 6, 2006 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/892,208, filed Feb. 28, 2007.

The transponder 38 is typically small, for example approximately 5-10 millimeters long with a diameter of about 1-4 millimeters. In at least some embodiments, an encapsulant 30 advantageously protects the transponder from the ambient environment, for instance from forces, pressure and/or fluids, such as body fluids.

The objects 14 that may be tagged with a respective transponder 38 to be detectable by the interrogation and detection system 5 may be any type of object useful in a medical procedures, for instance medical implements (e.g., surgical implements) as well as medical supplies or accessories (e.g., surgical supplies or accessories). Examples of various types of medical implements include, but are not limited to, cutting means (e.g., a scalpel 20 c, lancet, knife, scissors), grasping means (e.g., tweezers 14 d, forceps), clamping means (e.g., hemostat 14 b, clamps), access means (e.g., dilators, specula, separators), injection/irrigation means (e.g., needles, tips), drilling means (e.g., a drill bit), or measurement means (e.g., rulers, calipers).

Examples of various types of medical supplies or accessories include, but are not limited to, sponge 14 a and a sheet of absorbent material 14 e. The sheet of absorbent material 14 e may be a piece of gauze or a piece of lap sponge, which may be woven or unwoven, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet of absorbent material 14 e may be tagged with a transponder device 20 so that the presence or absence of the sheet of absorbent material 14 e can be detected by the interrogation and detection system 5. Again, this helps achieve the goal of avoiding foreign objects, including the sheet of absorbent material 14 e, from being unintentionally left at an undesirable location, such as inside the body of a patient 10, after surgery, child birth or delivery, or other medical procedures.

In use, the medical provider (not shown) may position the antenna 5 b proximate the patient 10 in order to detect the presence or absence of the transponder 38 and hence a foreign object. The medical professional may in some embodiments move the antenna 5 b along and/or across the body of the patient 10. In some embodiments, the antenna 5 b may be sized to fit at least partially in a body cavity of the patient 10. Different types of transponders 38 may be used. Although a human patient 10 is illustrated, the described interrogation and detection system 1 may similarly be used on animals.

FIG. 2A illustrates a transponder device 20 e attached to an object 14 e to be used in a medical procedure, according to one embodiment. Since the object 14 e may be useful in performing medical procedures, the object 14 e may be denominated as a medical object or medical procedure object.

The transponder device 20 e is advantageously attached to a portion of the object 14 e such that the transponder device 20 e does not physically interfere with the operation or use of the object 14 e. The object 14 e may be a piece of absorbent material, such as a piece of gauze or lap sponge. Such objects 14 e are typically disposed of after use, so may be denominated as disposable objects, or disposable medical objects, or disposable medical procedure objects. Such objects 14 e are typically considered medical supplies so may be denominated as a medical supply or disposable medical supply.

The object 14 e may include a strap or loop 37 to facilitate carrying, moving and/or tactilely locating the object 14 e. The transponder device 20 e may comprise an encapsulant or cover 30 and a transponder 38 to retain the transponder 38. The encapsulant or cover 30 may include one or more structures designed and configured to enclose the transponder 38 and directly attach the transponder 38 to a portion of the object 14 e. The encapsulant or cover 30 may be a plastic housing made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Alternatively, the encapsulant or cover 30 may be made of PVC impregnated cotton fabric. While the term encapsulant is used herein, such should not be confused with encapsulants typically used to provide environmental protection to a circuit or chip. Such encapsulants are often made of glass or ceramic, and are not typically used to directly attach a circuit or chip to another structure. As illustrated FIGS. 2B and 3A, such an environmental encapsulant 29 may be used in addition to the encapsulant or cover 30 discussed herein.

FIG. 2B illustrates the encapsulant 30 of the transponder device 20 e according to one embodiment.

The encapsulant or cover 30 may be a PVC cover designed to have a receiving cavity that is sized and shaped appropriately to receive the transponder 38 such that the transponder 38 fits snugly in the receiving cavity of the encapsulant 30. Alternatively, the encapsulant or cover 30 may adapt a different shape and size. For example, the encapsulant or cover 30 may have a dome shape or any other shape. In one embodiment, the encapsulant or cover 30 may be a one-piece cover, and the transponder 38 may be enclosed between the enclosed space between the encapsulant or cover 30 and the object 14 e when the encapsulant or cover 30 is attached directly to the object 14 e. The encapsulant or cover 30 may be heat sealed to the object 14 e to seal the transponder 38 between the encapsulant or cover 30 and the object 14 e. In one embodiment, the encapsulant or cover 30 may be radio frequency (RF) welded to the object 14 e to seal the transponder 38 between the encapsulant or cover 30 and the object 14 e. Alternatively, the encapsulant or cover 30 may be sewn to the object 14 e by stitching to seal the transponder 38 therebetween.

FIG. 3A illustrates the transponder device 20 e according to one embodiment.

In this illustrated embodiment, the transponder device 20 e includes a container 30 formed from three body portions 30 a, 30 b, and 30 c (FIG. 3C). The body portion 30 a may be a cover member made of PVC having a dome-shaped cavity in which the transponder 38 may be received. The body portion 30 b may be a PVC film sized and shaped to match the outer contour of the body portion 30 a. The body portion 30 c may also be made of PVC and, like the body portion 30 b, may be sized and shaped to match the outer contour of the body portion 30 a. Alternatively, the body portions 30 a, 30 b, and 30 c may be made of PVC impregnated cotton fabric.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the transponder 38 is received in the dome-shaped cavity of the body portion or cover 30 a and is enclosed by the body portions 30 a and 30 b. Sealing of the transponder 38 within the enclosed space between the body portions 30 a and 30 b may be done by a variety of sealing methods including heat sealing. A type of heat sealing method that may be used is RF welding. Thus, in one embodiment, the transponder 38 may be RF welded within the enclosed space between the body portions 30 a and 30 b. The combination of the body portion 30 a, the transponder 38, and the body portion 30 b is labeled as the transponder pouch 31. In some embodiments, formation of the transponder pouch 31 (i.e., sealing the transponder 38 between the body portions 30 a and 30 b) may be done in advance. More specifically, transponder pouches 31 may be made available prior to further manufacturing process is undertaken to the wirelessly detectable objects from the objects 14 e and the transponder devices 20 e.

FIG. 3B illustrates the transponder device 20 e according to another embodiment.

Rather than being discretely made from the assembly of individual components, the transponder pouch 31 may come as a roll of transponder pouches 31 each containing a respective transponder 38, as shown in FIG. 3B. The roll of transponder pouches 31 may be made by RF welding a roll of fabric laminate 32 a to a roll of PVC film 32 b where a series of cavities for receiving a corresponding transponder 38 is made by providing bulges in the roll of fabric laminate 32 a. The fabric laminate 32 a may be made of PVC or PVC impregnated cotton fabric. Having the transponder pouches 31 come in a roll enhances the efficiency in the manufacturing process, as all that remains to be done is cutting or separating the transponder pouches from the roll and attaching each of the transponder pouches to a respective object 14 e.

FIG. 3C illustrates an isometric view of the assembly of the transponder device 20 e and object 14 e to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3C, the transponder pouch 31, whether assembled individually with body portions 30 a and 30 b or provided as part of a roll of transponder pouches, may be RF welded to a surface of the object 14 e. The body portion 30 c is placed on the other surface of the object 14 e directly opposite the transponder pouch 31 so that the transponder device 20 e can be RF welded to the object 14 e.

FIG. 3D illustrates a side view of the disposable object 14 e to be used in medical procedures with the transponder device 20 e attached thereto, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4A illustrates a method of attaching the transponder device 20 e to the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

The encapsulant or cover 30 of the transponder device 20 e in this embodiment may be a flexible sheet 33 made from a piece of PVC impregnated cotton fabric. Thus, the transponder device 20 e in this embodiment includes the transponder 38 and the flexible sheet 33. As shown in FIG. 4A, the flexible sheet 33 is folded to form a pouch having a pocket 34 to receive the transponder 38, and the transponder 38 is enclosed in the pocket 34. The transponder 38 is sealed in the pocket 34 by heat sealing, e.g., RF welding, around at least three sides of the transponder 38. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, because one side of the transponder 38 is adjacent the fold in the flexible sheet 33, RF welding is used to seal the remaining three sides of the transponder 38.

The transponder device 20 e may be attached to the object 14 e, such as a piece of gauze or lap sponge, by sewing. For example, the transponder device 20 e may be sewn to the object 14 e by stitching in one embodiment. To prevent the transponder device 20 e from dangling, e.g., when the object 14 with the transponder device 20 e attached is held up in such a fashion that the transponder device 20 e is facing downward, at least two lines of stitches are used to attach the transponder device 20 e to the object 14 e. The two lines of stitches may be perpendicular to the fold line where the flexible sheet 33 is folded to form the pocket 34. Alternatively, three lines of stitches may be used, as shown in FIG. 4A, to ensure the pouch formed by the folded flexible sheet 33 does not dangle. In such case, two of the lines of stitches may be perpendicular to the fold line while the third line of stitches may be parallel to the fold line, as shown in FIG. 4A. In other embodiments, the transponder device 20 e may be attached to the object 14 e by heat sealing, such as RF welding, or other suitable methods.

FIG. 4B illustrates the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures having the transponder device 20 e attached thereto, according to the method shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A illustrates a method of attaching the transponder device 20 e to the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures, according to another embodiment.

The encapsulant or cover 30 of the transponder device 20 e in this embodiment may be a flexible sheet 33 made from a piece of PVC impregnated cotton fabric. Similar to the transponder device 20 e shown in FIG. 4A, the transponder device 20 e in this embodiment includes the transponder 38 and the flexible sheet 33. As shown in FIG. 5A, the flexible sheet 33 is folded to form a pouch having a pocket 34 to receive the transponder 38, and the transponder 38 is enclosed in the pocket 34. The transponder 38 is sealed in the pocket 34 by heat sealing, e.g., RF welding, around at least three sides of the transponder 38. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, because one side of the transponder 38 is adjacent the fold in the flexible sheet 33, RF welding is used to seal the remaining three sides of the transponder 38.

The flexible sheet 33 is further folded to wrap around an edge of the object 14 e. More specifically, the size and dimension of the flexible sheet 33 are chosen so that after a first fold (fold 1 shown in FIG. 5A) to form the pocket 34 and a second fold (fold 2 shown in FIG. 5A) to wrap around an edge of the object 14 e, the distal end of the flexible sheet 33 is approximately aligned with the first fold, or fold 1. In other words, in this embodiment, the flexible sheet 33 is folded to enclose the transponder 38 as well as to “clamp on” an edge of the object 14 e, which may be a piece of gauze of lap sponge. To secure the transponder device 20 e to the object 14 e, RF welding may be used, as shown in FIG. 5A. Alternatively, the transponder device 20 e may be attached to the object 14 e by other means including sewing and other heat sealing methods.

FIG. 5B illustrates the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures having the transponder device 20 e attached thereto, according to the method shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A illustrates a method of attaching the transponder device 20 e to the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures, according to yet another embodiment.

The encapsulant or cover 30 of the transponder device 20 e in this embodiment may include a top portion 35 a and a bottom portion 35 b each made from PVC. Thus, the transponder device 20 e in this embodiment includes the transponder 38 and the top and bottom portions 35 a and 35 b. The top portion 35 a may be designed and shaped to include a receiving cavity to receive the transponder 38. The bottom portion 35 b may be relatively flat and longer than the top portion 35 a in at least one dimension to provide for a “tab” portion to allow the transponder device 20 e to be attached to the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures. As shown in FIG. 6A, the transponder 38 is enclosed between the top portion 35 a and the bottom portion 35 b. As shown in FIG. 6B, the transponder 38 may be sealed in the enclosed space between the top and bottom portions 35 a and 35 b by RF welding or other heat sealing method.

The object 14 e may include a radio-opaque strip 36, such as a strip of blue barium or PVC material, to which the transponder device 20 e may be attached. The object 14 e may further include a strap 37 for ease of carrying by a user. The object 14 e may be a lap sponge, for example, or another type of absorbent material such as gauze, which is typically disposed of after use.

FIG. 6B illustrates the attachment of the transponder device 20 e to the object 14 e to be used in medical procedures, according to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6A.

As previously described, the transponder device 20 e may have a “tab” given the difference in size and dimension between the top portion 35 a and the bottom portion 35 b. Consequently, the transponder device 20 e may be attached to the radio-opaque strip 36 of the object 14 e by stitching or heat sealing, such as RF welding, or both.

FIG. 7 illustrates a conventional process of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures, such as pieces of gauze 14 e each with a transponder device 20 e attached thereto.

The process begins with passing a roll of gauze through a gauze cutter that cuts the roll of gauze into a plurality of discrete pieces of cut gauze 14 e at 71. The discrete pieces of cut gauze 14 e may be folded and piled into one or more stacks of gauze at 72 for further processing. For example, the pieces of cut gauze 14 e may be transported to another location in the factory where the roll of gauze was cut or another factory or geographic location. Folding the pieces of cut gauze 14 e may render the transportation of the pieces of cut gauze 14 e easier than otherwise. Next, at 73, each piece of the cut gauze 14 e may need to be unfolded to allow a transponder to be attached thereto. A transponder device 20 e may be attached to a respective piece of cut gauze 14 e by sewing the transponder device 20 e in a patch at 74. Afterwards, the pieces of cut gauze 14 e may be refolded at 75 for packaging at 76. With a transponder device 20 e attached, each piece of cut gauze 14 e becomes a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures. The wirelessly detectable objects may be tested for operability at 77 before they are sold, distributed, or used.

FIG. 8 illustrates a process of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures, such as pieces of gauze 14 e each with a transponder device 20 e attached thereto, according to one embodiment.

The process may begin with passing a roll of gauze through an attaching mechanism at 81 that attaches a plurality of transponder devices 20 e to the roll of gauze. The attaching mechanism may attach the transponder devices 20 e to the roll of gauze by heat sealing, such as RF welding, or sewing. In any case, the plurality of transponder devices 20 e are attached to the roll of gauze before the roll of gauze is cut into discrete pieces of cut gauze by the gauze cutter at 82. After the roll of gauze is cut into discrete pieces of cut gauze 14 e each having a respective transponder device 20 e attached thereto, the pieces of cut gauze 14 e may be folded and stacked into a pile or piles for further processing. With a transponder device 20 e attached, each piece of cut gauze becomes a wirelessly detectable object. Additional processing may include packaging of the wirelessly detectable objects at 84 and/or testing the wirelessly detectable objects for operability at 85.

Attaching the transponder devices 20 e to the roll of gauze before the roll of gauze is cut into discrete pieces of cut gauze 14 e advantageously improves the efficiency associated with manufacturing of the wirelessly detectable objects, in terms of time and cost. Compared with the conventional process as shown in FIG. 7, the manufacturing process shown in FIG. 8 eliminates at least the unfolding and refolding of the pieces of cut gauze 14 e. Furthermore, because the transponder devices 20 e are attached to the roll of gauze, rather than being attached to discrete pieces of cut gauze 14 e individually, the attachment may be done in a serial fashion that may advantageously speeds up the process and thus saves time and cost.

A batch of transponder devices 20 e may be assembled and ready for attachment prior to the process shown in FIG. 8 begins. The transponder devices 20 e may be provided as a batch of individual transponder pouches 31, as shown in FIG. 3A, or as a roll of transponder pouches 31, as shown in FIG. 3B, for example.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method 90 for manufacturing a plurality of wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

The method 90 begins at 92, where a plurality of transponders, such as transponder devices 20 e, is attached to a roll of absorbent material. The roll of absorbent material may be a roll of gauze, for example. The roll of absorbent material is divided at 94 to provide a plurality of discrete pieces of absorbent material, each of which has a respective one of the plurality of transponders attached thereto. The manufacturing method 90 may end here as the discrete pieces of absorbent material, each having a respective transponder, can now be considered wirelessly detectable objects to be used in medical procedures. The method 90 may additionally include packaging one or more of the plurality of discrete pieces of absorbent material at 96. The method 90 may further include testing the packaged one or more discrete piece of absorbent material for operability at 98.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method 100 for manufacturing a wirelessly detectable object for use in medical procedures, according to one embodiment.

The method 100 begins with enclosing a transponder in a receiving cavity of a flexible holder by heat sealing at 102. RF welding may be the particular heat sealing method employed. Once the transponder is enclosed in the flexible holder, the flexible holder containing the transponder is attached to a surgical object at 104. The surgical object may be the surgical object 14 e, such as a piece of gauze or lap sponge, for example.

The above description of illustrated embodiments, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the various embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Although specific embodiments of and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art.

The teachings provided herein can be applied to other absorbent materials, other types of transponders, and other interrogation and detection systems. For instance, the transponder device may be used to mark objects anytime detection of the presence of marked objects is desirable in a confined area, not just during surgery. For example, it may be used to make sure marked objects are not left inside a machine (e.g., vehicle, copy machine) after maintenance is performed. In at least some embodiments, the transponder housing may be utilized to mark objects to determine the removal of a marked object from a confined area, such as a cover-all garment from a clean room of a semiconductor fabrication plant. In such an embodiment, an interrogation device, for example, may be placed proximate to a door of the confined area.

In addition, a transponder housing or cover may be manufactured and distributed for tagging objects without a transponder currently attached. Advantageously, the housing can then be used to place a transponder compatible with a particular detection and interrogation system at a subsequent time, including by the end-user.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. To the extent that they are not inconsistent with the specific teachings and definitions herein, all of the commonly assigned U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications referred to in this specification, including but not limited to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/606,686 filed Oct. 27, 2009; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/811,376 filed Jun. 6, 2006; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/892,208, filed Feb. 28, 2007; and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/109,142 filed Oct. 28, 2008 are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary, to employ systems, circuits and concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

These and other changes can be made in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure. 

I claim:
 1. A method of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures, the method comprising: supplying a plurality of pouches, wherein each of the pouches contains a respective encapsulated wireless transponder, the encapsulated wireless transponder retained in the respective pouch via a respective plurality of stitches about a perimeter of each of the pouches; attaching a respective one of the pouches to a piece of absorbent material via at least one or more stitches of the respective plurality of stitches, the pouch containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder; for each of a plurality of pieces of the absorbent material, folding the respective piece of absorbent material to form a folded piece of absorbent material; and packaging the folded piece of absorbent material.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying a plurality of pouches, each of the pouches which contain a respective encapsulated wireless transponder includes supplying a plurality of pouches, wherein each of the pouches includes a radio-opaque stripe, in addition to the respective encapsulated wireless transponder.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: for each of the plurality of pieces of absorbent material, testing the respective wireless transponder.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: for each of the plurality of pieces of absorbent material, testing the respective wireless transponder subsequent to packaging the folded piece of absorbent material.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying a plurality of pouches, each of the pouches which contain a respective encapsulated wireless transponder, includes supplying the pouches as discrete transponder pouches.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a respective one of the pouches, containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder, to the piece of absorbent material via at least one or more stitches includes attaching the respective one of the pouches, containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder, to a roll of the absorbent material via the at least one or more stitches.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: dividing the roll of the absorbent material into a plurality of discrete pieces of absorbent material, each of the discrete pieces of absorbent material having a respective one of the encapsulated wireless transponder attached thereto via a respective one of the pouches.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a respective one of the pouches, containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder, to the piece of absorbent material via at least one or more stitches includes, attaching each of the encapsulated wireless transponders at spaced apart locations along a length of a roll of the absorbent material.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: heat sealing the respective pouches to the roll of absorbent material at spaced apart locations along the length of the roll of absorbent material.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: dividing a roll of the absorbent material into a plurality of discrete pieces of absorbent material.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein folding the respective piece of absorbent material to form a folded piece of absorbent material includes folding the piece of absorbent material according to a defined fold pattern.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a respective one of the pouches, containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder, to the piece of absorbent material via at least one or more stitches includes attaching the respective one of the pouches to a surgical sponge or a piece of gauze.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein packaging the folded piece of absorbent material includes packaging two or more of the folded piece of absorbent material in a single sterile package.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a respective one of the pouches, containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder, to the piece of absorbent material via at least one or more stitches includes attaching the respective one of the pouches to the piece of the absorbent material using a strap.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the piece of absorbent material comprises a non-woven absorbent material and attaching a respective one of the pouches, containing the respective encapsulated wireless transponder, to the piece of absorbent material via at least one or more stitches includes attaching the respective one of the pouches to the piece of non-woven absorbent material.
 16. A method of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures, the method comprising: attaching each of a plurality of encapsulated wireless transponders at spaced apart locations on a length of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material, the wireless transponders operable to wirelessly receive and transmit signals; dividing the PVC material to provide a plurality of discrete PVC strips, each one of the plurality of discrete PVC strips having a respective one of the plurality of wireless transponders attached thereto.
 17. The method of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects of claim 16, further comprising: attaching each of the plurality of discrete PVC strips to a respective one of a plurality of pieces of woven or non-woven absorbent material, wherein the piece of absorbent material is one of a surgical sponge, a laparotomy (lap) sponge, or a piece of gauze.
 18. A method of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects for use in medical procedures comprising: attaching a plurality of PVC encapsulated wireless transponders at spaced apart locations on a fabric material, the wireless transponders operable to wirelessly receive and transmit signals; and dividing the fabric material to provide a plurality of discrete fabric strips, each one of the plurality of discrete fabric strips having a respective one of the plurality of wireless transponders attached thereto.
 19. The method of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects of claim 18, further comprising: forming each of the plurality of fabric strips into a loop; and attaching each of the plurality of fabric strips to a respective one of a plurality of pieces of absorbent material.
 20. The method of manufacturing wirelessly detectable objects of claim 19, wherein the respective one of a plurality of pieces of absorbent material is one of a surgical sponge, a laparotomy (lap) sponge, or a piece of gauze. 